“The market today is in the midst of a transitional period,” says Atsuhiko Hirano, chief executive of CIS thin-film PV manufacturer Solar Frontier.

“The dynamics of the market have changed and it will take significant cost advantage, technological innovation and corporate strength to thrive.”

Japan installed roughly 12.3GW of PV capacity last year, with 13.2GW to 14.3GW expected in 2016, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

However,